James Stewart, in full James Maitland Stewart, byname Jimmy Stewart
(born May 20, 1908, Indiana, Pennsylvania, U.S.—died July 2, 1997, Beverly Hills, California), major American motion-picture star known for his portrayals of diffident but morally resolute characters.

Sensing America’s eventual involvement in the war in Europe, Stewart enlisted in the armed forces in March 1941. An avid pilot in civilian life, he was assigned to the Air Corps and logged more than 1,800 hours of flight time in bomber missions. Before he returned to civilian life in 1945, he had risen to the rank of colonel and had been decorated several times. His first film upon returning to Hollywood was Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life (1946), for which Stewart received his third Oscar nomination. Though the film generated mediocre box office at the time of its release, it has since become one of the most beloved films of all time, largely because of its numerous television showings since the 1970s. In 1999 it ranked 11th on the American Film Institute’s list of the 100 greatest movies of all time.

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